Automatic call distributors (ACDs) and call centers or other contact centers typically include systems designed to match incoming requests for service, for example a telephone call or an e-mail, with a resource that is able to provide that service, such as a human call center agent. ACDs generally perform one or more of the following functions: (i) recognize and answer incoming calls; (ii) review database(s) for instructions on what to do with a particular call; (iii) using these instructions, identify an appropriate agent and queue the call, often times providing a prerecorded message; (iv) connect the call to an agent as soon as the agent is available; and (v) grant the available agent access to the customer information database(s) to complete the transaction.
Some customers fear that there may be an opportunity for fraud when secure customer information is made available to call centers. For example, identity theft could occur when a call center agent uses secure information from customer databases without customer's knowledge for a fraudulent use. Providing access to secure information in customer databases has become a growing concern of customers that reduces the willingness of customers to engage in commerce with contact centers. Security is of particular concern to customers as companies outsource call centers to third parties such as hosted call centers. In hosted call centers, a call from a customer may be answered by a hosting company with agents in foreign countries. The customer may provide personal, account, and other confidential information to an agent residing outside the country. In these cases, the agent may not be employed by the company that the customer is completing the transaction with. Call centers concerned about losing customers are attempting to address these security concerns.
Some banking systems require the presence of multiple physical keys before granting access to customer information (e.g. opening a safety deposit box). In this example, the customer has one key and the bank employee has another key. Both the customer and the bank employee must be present at the same time to open the safety deposit box.
Some ACD systems and call centers grant agents access to caller information based on caller identification (id) information. When a customer calls, the ACD system receives the caller id and gives the agent handling the call automatic access to the customer's information based on the caller id. Typically, the agent gets the information in the form of a screen popup. The customer is then transferred to the agent. If the customer is transferred to a third party, the third party automatically gets the information, and the agent's screen is blanked out. When the customer hangs up, the agent may keep the information to complete the transaction after the call.